THE FIVE M'GILLOT (I-VI)
– Slim Books, Wide Scopes
Placed as a unit in K’tuvim, the last book of the Hebrew Bible, each of these five compelling small scrolls or books stands on its own. The stories and the poetry cover several complexities of life, both in general and of Jewish living in particular. Three were written in response to historical events and challenges.
They also form a unit as each is connected with its respective Jewish holyiday. They are chanted on a cyclical basis in synagogues on Passover, Shavuot, Tisha b’Av, Sukkot, and Purim. As one who loves to chant the holy books, I enjoy how three different melodic sensibilities were applied to the books and made them both distinct and connected.
